The tragedy in Texas has many tales yet to be told. However, one is quickly emerging about the impact an open carry law can have on public safety. Gun Control advocates have said that open carry laws will save lives. Gun carrying advocates have sited singular examples of people saving lives in the workplace or isolated settings as a reason for open carry laws.
Texas has an open carry law that includes pistols and rifles. It is legal to carry an AR15 or a pistol for all to see. However, did the law cause confusion in Dallas during the tragedy that killed 5 police officers and injured police and civilian? The police originally thought they found the shooter, only to realize in the confusion it was someone else that handed in their rifle to police because he was a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. A smart move on his part, as he could have been shot during the confusion. The fact that multiple people carried weapons in a public area may have caused confusion for law enforcement.
The law's intent is that society is safer when we allow people to carry weapons. However, in a state like Texas that is approaching one million open carry citizens, confusion could be a part of mass shootings as many people will be packing heat at public events. It will be hard for police to sort out who is the shooter versus who is a civilian with an open carry weapon. It also puts a target on openly carried weapons, versus concealed weapons. The original intent of the law was that open carry would discourage people from trouble, however we may soon learn that open carry can also create troubles for law enforcement and citizens alike.
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